Tallest married couple ever

Anna Haining Swan (b. 6 August 1846; d. 5 August 1888) of Nova Scotia, Canada, was 241.3 cm (7 ft 11 in) tall when measured at the age of 17. On 17 June 1871, in London, UK, she married Martin van Buren Bates (USA, b. 9 November 1837; d. 19 January 1919), who stood at least 219.71 cm (7 ft 2.5 in) and perhaps as tall as 236.22 cm (7 ft 9 in), making them the tallest married couple ever, with a combined height of 461 cm (15 ft 1.5 in), or up to 477.5 cm (15 ft 8 in).

The pair wed while on a visit to London, UK, at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, with Anna's tailored wedding dress paid for by Queen Victoria who she met.

The couple, who would become known as the "Giants of Seville", would go on to have the longest and heaviest baby ever born, at 9.98 kg (22 lb) and measuring 71.12 cm (28 in) long at their home in Seville, Ohio, USA, on 19 January 1879. Sadly "Babe" only lived for around 11 hours. His father was quoted after his passing as saying: "He was 28” tall, weighed 22 lb and was perfect in every respect. He looked at birth like an ordinary child of six months."

Anna first met Martin as a result of their respective sideshow careers. They both earned fame for their height and travelled in circus troupes both separately and as a pair.

After a two-year relationship, on 17 June 1871, Anna married Martin in London in front of a huge crowd of onlookers.

It has been reported that a Daily Telegraph article published at the time of the wedding commented: "A man may get used to being eight feet high, but to be eight feet high and to be stared at by a devout congregation of idlers on the occasion of marrying a lady who is eight feet high also is a trying conjunction of matters. However, Captain Bates got through his difficulties tolerably well".

The couple gave birth to the heaviest and longest baby ever recorded.

Image: Wikimedia Commons